Effect of UK Equity Markets On the Competitiveness of UK Business Review

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the responses of the investment management industry to Recommendation 8 of the Kay review in relation to the full disclosure of all costs on investment funds; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Swinson: The Government believes there should be transparency of all costs and charges in the investment chain.
	The Government welcomes recent initiatives on cost transparency developed by investment industry bodies, including the Investment Management Association (IMA), the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) and the Association of British Insurers (ABI). The Government is seeking to address with the industry what further steps are necessary, including in the context of developments in EU regulation, to bring about a disclosure regime which provides clear, comprehensive information on costs and charges to all savers.
	A progress report will be published by the Government in summer 2014, setting out whether Kay's recommendations have been achieved, assessing the progress made by the investment industry to this recommendation and what further action may be necessary.

Exports: Greater London

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the (a) total value and (b) level of growth was for exports from businesses based in London in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Fallon: Regional data on trade in goods are published by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in its quarterly Regional Trade Statistics publication.
	These figures show that businesses based in London exported £35.2 billion worth of goods in 2011, a 24.0% increase from the £28.4 billion exported in 2010.
	It should be noted that London data are subject to ‘head office' distortions.
	The Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) produces annually estimates of regional exports of services. However, these cover only 30% of total services and the latest year for which information is available is 2010. The latest data (available from Table F4 at the following link) show that London-based businesses exported around £27 billion worth of services in 2010.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/16337/12-259-regional-economic-performance-indicators-2012-tables.xls

Voluntary Work

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average amount of time spent volunteering was by people in each 10 year age band in each of the last 30 years.

Nick Hurd: Between 2001 and 2011 the Government used the Citizenship Survey to assess levels of volunteering in the UK. The results are in the public domain and can be accessed here:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120919132719/http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/statistics/pdf/2056233.pdf
	The Cabinet Office does not hold comparable data for the period before 2000.
	Additionally the Cabinet Office will shortly be publishing figures on participation in volunteering from the 2012 Community Life Survey.

Children: Protection

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of local authorities' ability to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need; and what assessment he has made of the effects of reductions in spending on this service.

Brandon Lewis: holding answer 31 January 2013
	We have proposed a fair settlement for 2013-14 and 2014-15. The settlement allows local authorities to keep nearly £11 billion of business rates, and to keep the growth on' that share of business rates providing a direct financial incentive to councils delivering growth. We estimate that this could deliver around an extra £10 billion to the wider economy by 2020.
	It is for individual local authorities to determine their budgets, however, we have been clear that councils should be making sensible savings, to protect frontline services and keep council tax down.
	Ofsted and the Department for Education operate effective mechanisms to ensure local authorities are meeting their statutory duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

Planning Permission: Christchurch

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to decide whether to call in for his own determination the planning application for development at Bailey Drive, Christchurch, which was referred to him on 5 November 2012 pursuant to the Town and Country Planning (Consultation) England Direction 2009.

Nicholas Boles: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), is aware of the considerable level of public interest from within your constituency in relation to this matter and expects to issue a decision in the next two weeks.

Social Rented Housing: Greater London

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new social housing starts there were in London in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: Information about house building starts by tenure in each local authority area are published in the Department's live table 253, at the following link. Taken together, the Housing Association and local authority tenures comprise the social housing starts.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-building

Football

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with the Football Association on its stewardship of football clubs where the owners appear to be acting in an irresponsible manner.

Hugh Robertson: The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller) last met the chair of the Football Association on 3 October to discuss a wide range of football issues around reforming the governance of the game.
	We expect wide-ranging reforms, including the introduction of a new licensing system for clubs by the start of the 2013 season. We expect the licensing system to address concerns around financial sustainability, and the ownership of clubs.

Armed Forces: Housing Benefit

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of how many armed forces personnel will be affected by the proposed change to housing benefit in relation to the under-occupancy of social housing.

Mark Francois: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 January 2013, Official Report, column 387W, in which I stated that the decision to claim benefits is a private matter on which the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has no requirement to collect information. However, despite the lack of such information, we estimate that very few full-time service personnel will be affected by the proposed change, as the majority of them live in service accommodation. It is possible that some reserve personnel could be affected but the MOD does not record if a reservist is in receipt of housing benefit or if they reside in a home where it is being claimed.
	Officials are seeking a meeting with their counterparts in the Department of Work and Pensions to seek to better understand the implications of the proposed change for reservists when they are mobilised or away from home on training.
	The Service Personnel and Veterans Agency is available to provide advice to both full-time and reserve personnel on housing benefit issues.

Armed Forces: Liverpool

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many injured serving and ex-serving armed forces personnel are resident in Liverpool; and how many such people will receive the armed forces independence payment.

Mark Francois: The Ministry of Defence does not hold information regarding the number of injured serving and ex serving personnel resident in Liverpool.
	However, as at 1 December 2012 there were 30 serving personnel stationed in Liverpool who were classed as not deployable due to medical reasons. As at 31 March 2012 there were 1,675 ex-service personnel with a contact address in Liverpool who receive payment from the War Pensions Scheme, and as at 30 September 2012, 25 ex-service personnel with a contact address in Liverpool were in receipt of a payment from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
	To date we have identified less than 10 serving and ex- serving personnel with a contact address in Liverpool who will qualify for the payment of the armed forces independence payment. However, those who do not meet the eligibility criteria will still be able to apply for the personal independence payment.

Armed Forces: Redundancy

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which units in the (a) RAF, (b) Army and (c) Royal Navy are liable for redundancy under tranche 3; and when he expects the tranche 4 redundancy programme to commence.

Mark Francois: The tranche 3 redundancy announcement only relates to Army personnel and does not affect Royal Navy and Royal Air Force units.
	Army personnel will be selected for redundancy by assessing criteria such as rank, arm, length of service and career employment group in areas where it is predicted that a surplus of Army manpower will exist in the future structure. An individual's unit is not a factor in this decision.
	As already announced to Parliament, there is likely to be a need for a further tranche of redundancy for Army personnel and limited numbers of medical and dental personnel from the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force in due course. The precise timing of this has not yet been decided.

Veterans: Employment

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average length of time is for which veterans are out-of-work before finding employment after leaving the armed forces.

Mark Francois: holding answer 30 January 2013
	The vast majority of some 20,000 personnel who leave the armed forces each year make a successful transition to civilian life, including gaining employment. Once a veteran leaves the armed forces they are not required to maintain contact with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and therefore the MOD does not hold the information requested.
	However, the figures supplied by the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) scheme suggest that more than 90% of those service personnel who participate in their scheme secure employment within six months. For veterans who qualify, active participation with CTP remains an option for up to two years after discharge.

Bullying: Internet

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps his Department is taking to address cyberbullying in schools and elsewhere.

Elizabeth Truss: The Government introduced new laws through the Education Act 2011 to strengthen the authority of teachers to enforce discipline and promote good behaviour, published updated advice to schools on behaviour and bullying (including cyberbullying), and is holding schools to account on how well they deal with bullying through the new Ofsted inspections framework. Through the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS), the Government works with more than 200 organisations to develop tools and information for children and parents to address online risks such as cyberbullying.

Biofuels

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the statement in the Friends of the Earth, RSPB and Greenpeace's Dirtier than coal? report that burning whole trees for biomass energy generation would increase greenhouse gas emissions by at least 49 per cent compared to using coal over 40 years; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The report produced by Friends of the Earth, RSPB and Greenpeace included an assessment of research commissioned by DECC to inform the UK Bioenergy Strategy.
	This research on UK forests and carbon impacts looked at different scenarios for the management of a UK forest and for a range of uses for the harvested wood. It found that optimal greenhouse gas (GHG) emission savings can be achieved when harvested wood is used primarily for timber where possible, with energy produced alongside it as a co-product.
	The research did not conclude that the use for energy of any ‘whole tree’, a term that encompasses both small and/or diseased trees, would result in higher GHG emissions than the coal replaced. In the case of smaller or diseased trees, energy may be their only practical use.
	The UK Bioenergy Strategy was jointly published in April 2012 by DECC, DEFRA and the Department for Transport. This sets out four key principles to steer a sustainable course, which will underpin our bioenergy policy in the years to come. These principles include that bioenergy must deliver real greenhouse gas savings looking out to 2050 and beyond.
	The UK Bioenergy Strategy, its underpinning research and a supplementary note covering key technical issues is available from the following website:
	www.gov.uk

Energy Companies Obligation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many homes have received Energy Company Obligation support since October 2012, by region; and what the total value of support given in each region was.

Gregory Barker: Ofgem, as the administrator of the ECO scheme, will be providing monthly information on progress made against installation of measures by obligated energy suppliers. The first of these reports is due after energy suppliers have submitted to Ofgem at the end of February, and will cover all measures installed since last October—this information will be made publicly available by Ofgem, which we expect to include data on the regional delivery of measures.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he proposes that consumers will be subject to a credit check before being allowed to take out Green Deal finance.

Gregory Barker: Anyone providing credit to consumers has to lend responsibly. That means lenders—including Green Deal providers—are required by law to check people will be able to make the repayments and it is for them to decide how to meet this requirement.
	At the start, the Green Deal Finance Company will be undertaking credit checks, but we estimate over 80% of the population will have sufficient credit ratings, ensuring the vast majority of people can access competitive finance for their Green Deals.

Green Deal Scheme: Bradford

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the Government is doing to maximise take up of the Green Deal in Bradford East constituency.

Gregory Barker: In October last year DECC awarded funding to Leeds City Region to trial aspects of the Green Deal as part of this funding £141,500 was awarded to Bradford council. This work includes trialling an innovative delivery method of ‘energy efficiency measures on prescription' by linking with local GPs to refer patients expressing a chronic ill health condition exacerbated by cold living conditions.
	To support take of the Green Deal nationally we also launched a £3 million national advertising campaign for the Green Deal on 29 January. This promotes the national Energy Saving Advice Service on 0300 123 1234 and the
	www.gov.uk/greendeal
	website.
	There is currently also a cashback scheme which is open to all householders across the country who take up the Green Deal.

Members: Correspondence

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department has issued guidelines to officials on responding to inquiries from the constituents of hon. Members; and if he will place in the Library any such guidelines.

Richard Benyon: All inquiries are handled in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance on the appropriate handling of government correspondence in line with the Civil Service Code. This guidance can be found at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/content/civil-service-conduct-and-guidance
	Core DEFRA correspondence is handled centrally by a Customer Contact Unit (CCU), which seeks to answer at least 85% of all correspondence within 15 working days.
	Additional guidance to core DEFRA staff is:
	“to communicate clearly and write in plain English ensuring our replies are as polite and helpful as possible.”
	Freedom of Information and Environment Information Regulation requests are handled in adherence with the requirements of the relevant legislation.

Africa

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of the Conflict Pool has been spent in (a) Mali, (b) Niger, (c) Nigeria, (d) Algeria, (e) Mauritania, (f) Burkina Faso, (g) Chad, (h) Libya, (i) Sudan, (j) South Sudan, (k) Ethiopia, (l) Somalia, (m) Kenya and (n) Western Sahara in (i) each of the last three years and (ii) 2012-13 to date.

Mark Simmonds: The Conflict Pool is jointly managed by the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development. It is organised into six regional and one thematic programme: Africa, South Asia, Afghanistan, Wider Europe, Middle East and North Africa and Strengthening Alliances and Partnerships. It also funds the cross-government Stabilisation Unit.
	Starting in financial year 2012-13, the Conflict Pool also includes a £20 million Early Action Facility (EAF), which provides rapid responses to unanticipated in-year priorities. It has been used in the current financial year to fund activity in Syria, Mali, Libya and Somalia.
	The countries in question are divided between the Africa and the Middle East and North Africa programmes. The overall allocations for the Africa Conflict Pool programme for the four financial years for which information is requested were £43 million, £42.2 million, £44.4 million and £43.8 million, representing 23%, 23.6%, 24.6% and 20.9% respectively of overall Conflict Pool funding.
	The overall allocations for the Middle East and North Africa Conflict Pool programme for the four financial years covered by this parliamentary question were £18 million, £13.8 million, £20.85 million and £23.7 million, representing 10.5%, 7.7%, 11.5% and 11.3% respectively of the overall Conflict Pool funding.

Aspartame

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research his Department has undertaken on the safety of aspartame.

Anna Soubry: We are advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the non-ministerial Government Department with responsibility for food safety, that aspartame has been extensively tested and reviewed for safety by independent experts at national, European and international level and found to be safe at current levels of use.
	The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA's) latest draft opinion, published for consultation in January, has confirmed this. Despite this, some people consider they react badly to consuming aspartame. Although not a safety study, the FSA commissioned a research study which looked at self-diagnosed individuals who consider they experience adverse effects after consuming aspartame. The results of the study will be subjected to peer review prior to publication later this year, as well as being shared with the EFSA for consideration as part of their current re-evaluation of aspartame.

Chief Medical Officer

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Chief Medical Officer for England speaks on behalf of the Government.

Daniel Poulter: The chief medical officer is the UK Government's principal medical adviser, and has the central role of providing independent advice to the Secretary of State for Health and the Government on the population's health.
	The chief medical officer is a civil servant, the role is an independent and non-political one, and when called upon, the chief medical officer's responsibility is to give clinical, expert advice, independent of Government, on a wide range of issues relating to the health of the public, including the handling of health related emergencies.
	The chief medical officer is the leading advocate for public health within, across and beyond Government, challenging industry, employers, and civil society to take a bigger role in, and responsibility for, the public health.

General Practitioners

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to avoid any conflict of interest arising from clinical commissioning groups taking on responsibility of accrediting and re-accrediting GPs with a special interest; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: We are considering a wide range of options for the future arrangements for the accreditation and re-accreditation of general practitioners with special interests, and will be making an announcement in due course. The need to manage potential conflicts of interest will be one of the important factors which ministers will consider in reaching a final decision.

Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there will be any changes to the terms and remit of the Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation in light of changes to the NHS following the implementation of the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

Anna Soubry: The terms of reference of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation are being reviewed as part of a more general review of the Committee's Code of Practice being taken forward as a result of recent developments, including changes to the health and public health system following implementation of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and the Cabinet Office Public Bodies Review 2012. Any revised terms of reference will be published along with the revised Code of Practice when finalised.

Medicine: Education

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to establish academic health science networks nationwide.

Daniel Poulter: The NHS chief executive's report, ‘Innovation, Health and Wealth: Accelerating, Adoption and Diffusion in the NHS’, committed the national health service to establish a number of Academic Health Science Networks (AHSNs) across England. A copy has already been placed in the Library.
	Expressions of interest were received from 16 prospective AHSNs in September last year, with 15 receiving the go ahead to proceed to the application stage for full designation. That process is now under way, and will require each prospective AHSN to set out (in its application) its plan for its first five years. We expect all AHSNs to be in place by Quarter 1 of 2013-14.

Meningitis

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hendon of 18 December 2012, Official Report, column 750W, on meningitis: vaccination, on what date in 2013 the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is expected to complete its assessment of the meningococcal B vaccine;
	(2)  whether a new meningococcal B vaccine will be introduced into the childhood immunisation schedule before winter 2013;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2012, Official Report, column 750W, how long after a JCVI decision on the introduction of the meningococcal B vaccine the Government expects to introduce the vaccine into the childhood immunisation schedule and to outline any additional steps required prior to implementation;
	(4)  when a vaccine against meningococcal B will be introduced into the childhood immunisation schedule;
	(5)  what plans there are and what the timescale would be for implementing the meningococcal B vaccine if the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommend it to be included into the childhood immunisation schedule.

Anna Soubry: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is currently evaluating possible meningococcal B vaccination strategies. The earliest the evaluation is anticipated to be completed and advice provided to the Department is July 2013. However, the evaluation is highly complex and JCVI may need additional time to consider the evidence and to be assured that the benefits, risks and uncertainties are fully considered and reflected in its final advice.
	The Department will work with the NHS Commissioning Board and Public Health England to plan for the implementation of a possible decision to introduce a meningococcal B immunisation programme, subject to the advice of JCVI. The planning will cover all the actions that will be required to introduce a new programme, which would include the procurement of vaccine, commissioning the service, development of guidance for the national health service and communication with the public.
	It is not possible at this stage of the process to predict the implementation date for the possible introduction of Meningitis B vaccination into the childhood immunisation programme.

NHS: Disclosure of Information

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to NHS trusts on the use of confidentiality agreements for departing senior managers.

Daniel Poulter: The Department wrote to national health service trusts most recently in January 2012 reminding them that compromise agreements should not seek to prevent information being disclosed in the public interest and to ask that they satisfy themselves that their organisational policies are in line with previously issued guidance.
	In Sir David Nicholson's letter of 1 November 2007 to strategic health authorities (SHAs) covering severance payments to senior managers; he stated:
	"Where compromise agreements are being proposed, you will wish to acquaint yourself with the terms of these documents".
	He also stated that all proposed payments to chief executives and/or directors in primary care trusts (PCTs) or NHS trusts in England must be approved not only by the Trust's own remuneration committee, but also by the remuneration committee of the local SHA. Copies of both letters have been placed in the Library.
	The NHS Manual for Accounts states NHS bodies must obtain Treasury's explicit permission before making any staff severance payments that exceed legal or contractual obligations. NHS trusts and PCTs must seek Treasury approval for any non-contractual payments, through the Department. The Department will carefully consider the circumstances of each case.

Nurses

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 25 January 2013, Official Report, column 493W, on NHS: staff, how many (a) district nurses, (b) health visitors, (c) community psychiatric nurses, (d) community matrons and (e) community learning disabilities nurses were employed by the NHS in (i) England and (ii) each region in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Daniel Poulter: The total numbers of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff for the staff groups requested in England and in each region are shown in Table 1.
	Since June 2012, there is an additional Health Visiting Minimum Data Set Collection from strategic health authorities (SHAs) that includes additional FTE health visitors employed by non-NHS organisations, not on the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). These figures are shown in Table 2.
	
		
			 Table 1: NHS hospital and community health services: Qualified nursing staff in England by Strategic Health Authority area in each specified area of work as at 31 October 2012 
			 Full-time equivalent 
			 England All specified staff Community learning disabilities Community services Of which: Community matron Health visitor District nurses 
			 North East Strategic Health Authority area 64,119 2,265 15,826 46,028 1,371 8,644 6,209 
			 North West Strategic Health Authority area 5,034 250 1,420 3,363 103 631 390 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber Strategic Health Authority area 10,634 332 2,211 8,091 215 1,496 1,447 
			 East Midlands Strategic Health Authority area 7,193 250 1,461 5,482 199 1,011 474 
		
	
	
		
			 West Midlands Strategic Health Authority area 5,312 216 1,444 3,652 115 711 456 
			 East of England Strategic Health Authority area 7,190 325 1,683 5,181 152 930 838 
			 London Strategic Health Authority area 5,533 264 1,565 3,704 84 684 438 
			 South East Coast Strategic Health Authority area 7,975 135 1,988 5,851 157 1,242 1,034 
			 South Central Strategic Health Authority area 4,557 130 1,048 3,379 107 570 101 
			 South West Strategic Health Authority area 3,994 132 1,085 2,777 95 623 443 
			 Special Health Authorities and other statutory bodies 6,209 230 1,920 4,058 145 746 589 
			  489 (1)— (1)— 489 (1)— 1 (1)— 
			 (1)— = zero Notes: 1. Full-time equivalent figures are rounded to the nearest whole number, 2. Community matrons, health visitors and district nurses work exclusively in the community services area of work. This area of work also includes nurse consultants, modern matrons, nurse managers, RSCNs, Other 1st level nurses and other 2nd level nurses who are not separately identified in this table. 3. Special Health Authorities and other statutory bodies include a small number of staff who cannot be assigned to a specific organisation or Strategic Health Authority area. Since June 2012 there is an additional Health Visiting Minimum Data Set Collection from SHAs that includes additional health visitors employed by non-NHS organisations, not on ESR. These figures are provided in a separate table. 4. Data Quality: The Health and Social Care Information Centre seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data but responsibility for data accuracy lies with the organisations providing the data. Methods are continually being updated to Improve data quality where changes impact on figures already published. This is assessed but unless it is significant at national level figures are not changed. Impact at detailed or local level is footnoted in relevant analyses. Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre Non-Medical Workforce Census. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Number of health visitors in post—provisional statistics, October 2012 
			  Total number of health visitors (FTE) in post 
			 England 8,932 
			   
			 North of England Strategic Health Authority Cluster 3,196 
			 North East SHA HV Commissioning Area 631 
			 North West SHA HV Commissioning Area 1,500 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber SHA HV Commissioning Area 1,066 
			   
			 Midlands and East Strategic Health Authority Cluster 2,536 
			 East Midlands SHA HV Commissioning Area 773 
			 West Midlands SHA HV Commissioning Area 930 
			 East of England SHA HV Commissioning Area 833 
			   
			 London Strategic Health Authority Cluster 1,185 
			 London SHA HV Commissioning Area 1,185 
			   
			 South of England Strategic Health Authority Cluster 2,014 
			 South East Coast SHA HV Commissioning Area 624 
			 South Central SHA HV Commissioning Area 572 
			 South West SHA HV Commissioning Area 818 
			   
			 Special Health Authorities and other statutory bodies (1)— 
			 (1) denotes zero Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre, Provisional NHS Hospital and Community Health Service (HCHS) monthly workforce statistics

Psychiatry

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the psychiatric diagnostic manual Diagnosis and Statistical Manual 5.

Norman Lamb: No such assessment has been made. The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders will be published in America in May this year but will not be routinely used in NHS mental health services which use the tenth edition of the International Classification of Diseases, commonly known as the ICD-10. The ICD-10 is developed and produced by the World Health Organization.

Vaccination: Children

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether maternity and children's strategic clinical networks will have a role in ensuring the effective implementation and delivery of childhood vaccination programmes.

Anna Soubry: From 1 April 2013, Public Health England (PHE) will be responsible for providing advice to the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB) and the Department on immunisation policies. The NHS CB will be responsible for commissioning national immunisation programmes on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health under the provisions of section 7A of the NHS Act 2006 (public health functions to be exercised by the NHS Commissioning Board).
	The lead role relating to immunisation within the NHS CB will sit within the commissioning teams at national, regional and area team level of the Operations Directorate, where there are dedicated posts for public health commissioning including, public health expertise integrated within NHS Commissioning Board Area Teams employed by PHE and seconded to NHS CB.
	Information on these arrangements has. been set out in a letter from the Department, NHS CB and PHE dated 23 August 2012, a copy of which has been placed in the Library and is available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/08/screening-immunisation-programmes/
	Where there are particular issues either locally or nationally in relation to screening and immunisation, Strategic Clinical Networks may be requested to consider this as an improvement priority within the annual work plan.

Directors

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what declarations of interest must be made by her Department's non-executive directors; with what frequency any such declarations are required to be made; and if she will make that information publicly available.

James Brokenshire: Non-executive directors must declare, to the Secretary of State or Permanent Secretary, any personal or business interest which may, or may be perceived to influence their judgment in performing their functions and obligations. These interests include personal direct and indirect pecuniary interests and any such interests of close family members and/or of people living in the same household as the non-executive or their close family members.
	The Department is required to collect this information on an annual basis but is only required to publish it alongside the annual accounts if an interest is declared.

Police National Computer

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 13 December 2012, Official Report, column 437W, on DNA: databases, what the Government's policy is on compliance with judgement 24029/07 of the European Court of Human Rights relating to deletion of the Police National Computer records of innocent people.

James Brokenshire: The recent judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the case of MM v. UK held that the retention and disclosure of caution information by the police was, in relation to the specific facts of that case, unlawful. The judgment is not concerned with the retention of police information relating to individuals other than those who have accepted a caution in relation to, and thereby admitted that they committed, a criminal offence. The Government does not consider that the judgment of the ECtHR in this case is correct and will be seeking to appeal the judgment to the Grand Chamber.

Burma

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of the provision of water, sanitation and health care services in remote parts of Rakhine state where inter-communal tensions are high.

Alan Duncan: My officials are liaising with the European Commission on the findings from their January assessment mission in Rakhine, including the area's sanitation and healthcare needs. We also await the findings of a review of health assessments conducted to date by the group of health partners who provide emergency healthcare in Burma. At the end of last year the DFID contributed £2 million in bilateral humanitarian aid to communities affected by the inter-communal violence in Rakhine to improve access to water, sanitation and hygiene and nutrition in children under five years old.

Burma

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to address the severe shortage of food, blankets, medicine and other aid supplies in Kachin state, Burma.

Alan Duncan: DFID has provided £3.5 million for bilateral humanitarian aid to Kachin since January 2012 through local non-governmental organisations (NGO), supported by experienced International NGOs. We continue to monitor the humanitarian situation closely.

Developing Countries: Forests

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the Independent Evaluation Group's report into the World Bank's forest investment programme; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: The Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) report on 10 years of World Bank Group investments in the forest sector is currently under review. It will be considered at the next meeting of the World Bank Group Committee on Development Effectiveness (CODE), of which the United Kingdom is a member, due to be held on 4( )February in Washington DC.

Conditions of Employment

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of staff in his Department currently work (a) part-time, (b) in a job-share or (c) in another flexible working arrangement.

Helen Grant: The proportion of staff within the Ministry of Justice (HQ, National Offenders Management Service, HMCTS and Office of the Public Guardian) currently working (a) part-time, (b) in a job share or (c) in another flexible working arrangement is set out in the following table:
	
		
			 As at 31 December 2012 (headcount) 
			 Employment type Proportion (%) 
			 Part time workers 16.5 
			 Job share workers 0.2 
			 Other flexible arrangement 4.1 
		
	
	Other flexible working arrangements include compressed hours and home working. Staff within this category may have a combination of flexible working arrangements including part-time hours.

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when each of the provisions in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 relating to sentencing and offences will come into force.

Jeremy Wright: A significant tranche of Part 3 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 came into force on Monday 3 December.
	The provisions relating to offences in Chapter 9 of the Act are now all in force, with the exception of section 148 on use of reasonable force for the purpose of self-defence. This has not yet been commenced because the Crime and Courts Bill provides for further amendments to the law on use of force.
	The Government intends to bring the remaining provisions in Part 3 into force in 2013.

Prisons: Security

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions keys to prisons or prison cells have been lost since May 2010.

Jeremy Wright: Between 1 May 2010 and 31 March 2012 there were 136 cases of loss of keys reported by prison establishments. This figure includes all cases of loss, or suspected loss, of keys including those from handcuffs and escort chains. In the time available it has not been possible to interrogate all 136 records to determine which of these incidents involved loss of keys to prisons or prison cells. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as that information is available.
	Notes
	1. Figures are available to 31 March 2012.
	2. Figures have been drawn from live administrative data systems which may be amended at any time. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.

Ministerial Policy Advisers

Tom Watson: To ask the Prime Minister who his advisers on trade matters are; by what method each such adviser was appointed; and whether any of his trade advisers have submitted a declaration of interest in respect of their role to date.

David Cameron: Information on officials working in UK civil service, including the Prime Minister's Office, is in the public domain and is available on the Cabinet Office transparency website. Information regarding appointed business ambassadors and trade envoys can be found in the UKTI website.

East Coast Railway Line

Alistair Darling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the amount of investment needed to maintain and improve track and signalling on the East Coast mainline between (a) London and Peterborough, (b) Peterborough and York, (c) York and Newcastle and (d) Newcastle and Edinburgh in (i) 2013 to 2020 and (ii) 2020 to 2033.

Simon Burns: Future maintenance and enhancement requirements for the route are established for each Control Period by the Government's High Level Output Specifications and Statements of Funds Available and Network Rail's Delivery plans.
	Details of enhancements underway at the moment were set out in Network Rail's Control Period 4 Delivery Plan and includes work to be completed by March 2014.
	Network Rail's Strategic Business Plan, published on 15 January 2013, sets out their plans for maintenance and renewal for Control Period 5 from 2014 to 2019. This plan is currently being reviewed by the Office of Rail Regulation.
	I would expect Network Rail to produce estimates for the period 2020 to 2033 during the course of Control Period 6 and 7.

East Coast Railway Line

Alistair Darling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the (a) high-speed diesel trains and (b) electric trains operating on the East Coast Mainline to be replaced; and what estimate he has made of the likely cost of such replacement.

Simon Burns: The InterCity Express programme will provide sufficient new rolling stock to replace East Coast’s existing diesel High Speed Train fleet and to provide some additional capacity. This rolling stock is due to enter service on a phased basis during 2018 and 2019. This phase of the programme has a net present value cost of £1.8 billion at 2009 prices, which includes the capital and maintenance costs for trains and depots for the duration of the 27.5 year contract.
	The programme also includes an option for the Government to secure further electric carriages as a follow-on order. The Department is currently analysing the strategic options for replacing or upgrading the electric InterCity 225 stock, including the option under the InterCity Express programme. A decision on whether to exercise this option is due to be taken later this year.

Great Western Railway Line

Alistair Darling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the level of investment needed to maintain and improve track and signalling on the Great Western mainline between London and Bristol in (a) 2013 to 2020 and (b) 2020 to 2033.

Simon Burns: Future maintenance and enhancement requirements for the route are established for each Control Period by the Government's High Level Output Specifications and Statements of Funds Available and Network Rail's Delivery Plans.
	Details of enhancements under way at the moment were set out in Network Rail's Control Period 4 Delivery Plan and includes work to be completed by March 2014.
	Network Rail's Strategic Business Plan, published on 15 January 2013, sets out their plans for maintenance and renewal for Control Period 5 from 2014 to 2019. This plan is currently being reviewed by the Office of Rail Regulation.
	I would expect Network Rail to produce estimates for the period 2020 to 2033 during the course of Control Period 6 and 7.

Great Western Railway Line

Alistair Darling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on improving and upgrading the West Coast mainline between 2000 and 2012; and what estimate he has made of the amount needed to maintain and improve track and signalling on that line between London and Glasgow in (a) 2013 to 2020 and (b) 2020 to 2033.

Simon Burns: Most investment in improving the West Coast Main Line has been delivered by Network Rail to outputs specified with the Department for Transport. The West Coast route enhancement project delivered by Network Rail cost £8.8 billion and was completed in 2008.
	Future maintenance and enhancement requirements for the route are established for each Control Period by the Government's High Level Output Specifications and Statements of Funds Available and Network Rail's Delivery plans.
	Details of enhancements underway at the moment were set out in Network Rail's Control Period 4 Delivery Plan and includes work to be completed by March 2014.
	Network Rail's Strategic Business Plan, published on 15 January 2013, sets out their plans for maintenance and renewal for Control Period 5 from 2014 to 2019. This plan is currently being reviewed by the Office of Rail Regulation.
	Network Rail is expected to produce estimates for the period 2020 to 2033 during the course of Control Period 6 and 7.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his latest estimate is of the total cost for High Speed 2 including the newly announced route to Leeds and Manchester; and on what date that estimate was calculated.

Simon Burns: When the Government announced its decision to proceed with HS2 in January 2012, the construction costs were estimated at around £16.3 billion for Phase 1, and around £16.4 billion for Phase 2 (2011 prices). Having received advice on route options from HS2 Ltd, the cost of the Government's initial preferred route, station and depot options for Phase Two, published on 28 January 2013, is now estimated at around £16.8 billion, without the spur to Heathrow (if the spur is included the costs for Phase Two would rise to around £18.2 billion). Further information is available in the Command Paper 'High Speed Rail, investing in Britain's Future, Phase 2: Leeds, Manchester, and beyond'.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has to publicise the announced consultation on compensation for phase 2 of High Speed 2; and whether any advertising will be placed in local papers along the route.

Simon Burns: The HS2 Phase Two Exceptional Hardship consultation has now begun. Those individuals recorded by the Land Registry as owners of property or land that has been identified as at risk due to the initial preferred route for Phase Two of HS2, whose property or land is located above a proposed tunnelled section of the initial preferred route for Phase Two, or whose property or land would be at risk or above a tunnelled section of the published Heathrow spur route have received a letter which notifies them of the EHS compensation consultation. In addition, HS2 Ltd has informed local authorities, libraries and Citizens' Advice Bureaux about these proposals and asked to display consultation materials sent to them and make it available to their clients. The EHS consultation will be advertised in local newspapers along the line of route.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what surveys the contractors who gave advice to his Department on the proposals for phase 2 of High Speed 2 conducted in Stone constituency;
	(2)  how the contractors who gave advice to the Department on the proposals for Phase 2 proceed with their survey methods and over what time period.

Simon Burns: No surveys have been undertaken to date in the Stone constituency to develop the initial preferred scheme for Phase Two of HS2. The advice submitted by HS2 Ltd for Phase Two identifies options which best meet the remit for HS2 Ltd in terms of passenger demand, cost, ease of build, journey time and sustainability. An environmental impact assessment for phase two which will take account of a wide range of environmental information, including baseline site surveys, is proposed to commence in 2015. Further details can be found in the command paper and sustainability summary documents published on 28 January and placed in the House Libraries.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria the contractors who gave advice to his Department on the proposals for phase 2 of High Speed 2 applied in making their assessments with regard to the local environment, landscape and heritage in Stone constituency.

Simon Burns: The criteria that HS2 Ltd has applied in making their assessments are described in the published reports. Please see "HS2 Phase Two Initial Preferred Scheme—Sustainability Summary" in particular.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hs2-phase-two-initial-preferred-scheme-sustainability-summary
	Copies of these reports have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what criteria he will apply to compensation for those whose properties will be affected by High Speed 2;
	(2)  what steps he will take to ensure that pre-blight house prices are secured for those (a) eligible for compulsory purchase or (b) under statutory blight as a result of High Speed 2 in (i) route section HSM03 Streethay to Swynnerton, (ii) route section HSM06 Swynnerton to Madeley and (iii) route section HSM08 Madeley to Hough;
	(3)  what compensation he plans to make available to homeowners living along the proposed High Speed 2 route between the route sections Streethay and Hough.

Simon Burns: For Phase One, the Government's proposals for compensation are set out in the property consultation document 'High Speed Two: Property and Compensation for London-West Midlands: Compensation proposals for property owners and occupiers whose properties may be affected by a high speed rail link'. This consultation closed on 31 January. We will now consider the responses.
	The Government has announced a public consultation on the proposed Exceptional Hardship Scheme (EHS) for Phase Two of HS2. It will run until 29 April 2013. This is an interim scheme which would remain in place only until such time as the statutory blight provisions apply to properties affected by Phase Two or we introduce a wider package of discretionary measures broadly consistent with those for Phase One. At a later stage, following a decision on the final route, and if the Secretary of State for Transport decided to use compulsory purchase powers to acquire land, the normal statutory provisions for the assessment and payment of compensation would apply.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether public funds will be made available for opposing the relevant legal and planning rules and hybrid Bill procedures of Phase 2 of High Speed 2.

Simon Burns: There is no source of public funding for people to bring legal challenges to the Government's decisions on HS2.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in relation to Phase 2 of High Speed 2, what estimate his Department has made of the value per hectare per year of the affected land in (a) route section HSM03 Streethay to Swynnerton, (b) route section HSM06 Swynnerton to Madeley and (c) route section HSM08 Madeley to Hough.

Simon Burns: The Department does not hold such information.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to mitigate the effect of Phase 2 of High Speed 2 on (a) the River Trent and (b) other bodies of water.

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on biodiversity offsetting along the route of High Speed 2.

Simon Burns: The Government is determined to ensure that HS2 is an environmentally responsible project. Ministers and HS2 Ltd meet regularly with environmental groups to discuss the environmental opportunities that HS2 could offer, including the biodiversity offsetting. The initial preferred scheme has emerged from several hundred options as the one considered overall to best meet HS2 sustainability objectives including sustainability. The scheme development has included discussions with the Government's advisory bodies including Natural England, the Environment Agency and English Heritage. However, we are at an early stage in the development of the scheme for Phase Two: more work will be undertaken to refine the alignment and include mitigation and a number of the impacts will reduce as the designs are progressed.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to Phase 2 of the High Speed 2 railway line, how many properties the Government would own as a result of the proposals to proceed with (a) route section HSM03 Streethay to Swynnerton, (b) route section HSM06 Swynnerton to Madeley and (c) route section HSM08 Madeley to Hough.

Simon Burns: It is not possible to be certain how many properties the Government would own in the future in these areas. The agreed route may differ from that proposed; the number of property owners who may seek assistance through discretionary schemes is not within the Department's control; and the number of properties owned by the Government will vary over time.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many valuations of properties accepted onto the High Speed 2 Exceptional Hardship scheme have been disputed.

Simon Burns: No valuations of properties accepted onto the HS2 Exceptional Hardship Scheme are currently in dispute. Seven applicants have previously disputed the price offered to them. These disputes have all now been resolved.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of properties requiring access to the Exceptional Hardship scheme for those living on or near to the proposed route for Phase 2 of the High Speed 2 on the route sections running from Streethay to Hough;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of properties requiring access to the Exceptional Hardship scheme for those living on or near to the proposed route for Phase 2 of the High Speed 2 in rural areas.

Simon Burns: We do not offer precise predictions of either the gross or net costs of the various compensation schemes that we have proposed. This is because the number of property owners who may seek compensation, the circumstances of the properties which the Government might purchase, and the precise costs of properties (especially if they are bought some time in the future) are not within the Department's control. We would not want to imply that the budget is cash-limited and that this would affect our willingness to purchase properties.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the cost to the taxpayer of the construction of Phase 2 in (a) route section HSM03 Streethay to Swynnerton, (b) route section HSM06 Swynnerton to Madeley and (c) route section HSM08 Madeley to Hough.

Simon Burns: Due to the scale, complexity and timeframe of the project, our starting assumption is that the funding and financing of HS2 infrastructure would come in large part from central government funds. While our base assumption is that Government is likely to have a central role in driving forward investment in this vital infrastructure for the country we would examine the potential for private financing to reduce the up-front capital demand on the taxpayer and offer-value for money. The construction costs estimated at this stage are for an initial preferred route which begins the process of engagement to determine the final route. The Government's initial preferred route, station and depot options for Phase Two are estimated at around £16.8 billion, without the spur to Heathrow. This cost figure falls within the cost range that HS2 Ltd produced for Phase Two of £15.7 billion to £18.7 billion, reflecting the necessary uncertainty involved in producing costs at this early stage in the project.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much expenditure (a) his Department and (b) HS2 Ltd expects to incur on Phase 2 of the High Speed 2 programme, including on compensation payments.

Simon Burns: HS2 Ltd is the Department's executive non-departmental public body, with a remit for the delivery of HS2. Regarding the Department's expenditure on HS2, I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 23 October 2012, Official Report, column 768W, and my answer of 24 October 2012, Official Report, column 893W.
	Regarding the cost of compensation payments, we do not offer precise predictions of either the gross or net costs of the various compensation schemes that we have proposed. This is because the number of property owners who may seek compensation, the circumstances of the properties which the Government might purchase, and the precise costs of properties especially if they are bought some time in the future) are not within the Department's control. We would not want to imply that the budget is cash-limited and that this would affect our willingness to purchase properties.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to mitigate the effect of Phase 2 of High Speed 2 on residential properties.

Simon Burns: The initial preferred scheme has emerged from several hundred options as the one considered overall to best meet objectives for passenger demand, cost, ease-of-build, journey time and sustainability. Considerations of sustainability have been integral to scheme design since commencing work on Phase Two in autumn 2010. During this time, sustainability has been one of the key criteria in the development of route and station proposals that fit as far as possible with the environment and communities they pass. However, the project is at an early stage in the development of the scheme: more work will be undertaken to refine the alignment and include mitigation such as landscaping and noise barriers, and a number of the impacts will reduce as the designs are progressed.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

William Cash: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who the contractors were who gave advice to the Department on the proposals for Phase 2 in (a) route section HSM03 Streethay to Swynnerton, (b) route section HSM06 Swynnerton to Madeley and (c) route section HSM08 Madeley to Hough.

Simon Burns: The Department has set up HS2 Ltd to provide advice on proposals for Phase Two. Details of the consultants employed by HS2 Ltd are set out in their reports, published on the DFT website on 28 January. Copies of the reports have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/high-speed-rail-investing-in-britains-future-phase-two-the-route-to-leeds-manchester-and-beyond

High Speed 2 Railway Line

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to his Statement on HS2, what consideration has been made for the provision of double decker passenger trains operating on HS2.

Simon Burns: HS2 infrastructure will be built to be compliant with the European Technical Standards for Interoperability, the TSIs. The TSIs mandate that the railway infrastructure is constructed to ‘GC gauge’. Building to ‘GC Gauge’ requires all the structures on the route, such as bridges, tunnels and viaducts to be built with sufficient clearance to allow the operation of TSI compliant rolling stock which would include Double Deck passenger trains such as the TGV Duplex.

Large Goods Vehicles

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many longer semi-trailers of (a) 1 metre and (b) 2.05 metres have been introduced by each company onto UK roads since trials began in January 2012;
	(2)  how many safety incidents have been reported involving longer semi-trailers of each length since January 2012; and what the severity of each such incident was;
	(3)  what assessment his Department has made of the recent trials of whether longer semi-trailers should be allowed on UK roads.

Stephen Hammond: As at 29 January, we have issued vehicle special orders (VSOs) for 83 trailers that are 1 metre longer and 331 trailers that are 2.05 metres longer than the current standard. These trailers are either on the road or under construction. The number introduced by each company is commercially confidential.
	As at 29 January, there have been 35 safety incidents reported involving the longer semi-trailers. None of these incidents have involved any injuries and most have been off the public highway.
	The Department has contracted Risk Solutions to monitor and evaluate the Longer Semi-Trailer trial. The aim is to verify in practice the findings of the research, feasibility study and impact assessment, which were carried out before the trial began. Risk Solutions is collecting data on performance and safety from trial participants and an assessment will be carried out once there are sufficient data to undertake a meaningful analysis. The timing of this will depend on the rate of take-up by trial participants.

Marine Navigation Bill (HL)

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the Marine Navigation Bill on the UK's international maritime treaty obligations through the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Stephen Hammond: The Government considers that the Marine Navigation (No.2) Bill is consistent with the Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping Code. The Bill, which is supported by national associations representing ports and shipping, will reduce costs and burdens for industry while protecting maritime safety.

Motor Vehicles: Testing

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provisions there are in the MOT vehicle test to ensure that particulate filters or other emission control equipment fitted to a vehicle at manufacture are functioning correctly.

Stephen Hammond: There is no statutory requirement in MOT testing procedures to ensure that particulate filters or other emission control equipment fitted to a vehicle at manufacture are functioning correctly. The MOT test does however, include an exhaust gas opacity test against measurements laid down in Directive 2010/48/EU, providing these limits are met, the vehicle is considered to have passed that part of the test.

Rolling Stock

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that all Pacer rolling stock is taken out of operation in rail services in the North of England by 2019 to comply with disability legislation.

Simon Burns: The Department has set out the level of accessibility that it expects Pacers to have if they are to remain in service after 2019—it will be for the owners to decide whether to invest in life-extension works.

Sir Howard Davies

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) date, (b) location and (c) duration has been of (i) discussions and (ii) meetings between Ministers in his Department and Sir Howard Davies in the last 12 months.

Simon Burns: Ministers from the Department for Transport routinely meet a range of individuals and organisations from both the public and private sectors. The Department does not, as a matter of routine, collect data on the total number of such meetings.
	Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations are routinely published every quarter and information can be accessed on the Gov.Uk website via the following links:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-transparency-data#meetings

West Coast Railway Line

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the economic effects of the upgraded West Coast Mainline on (a) Liverpool, (b) Manchester and (c) the borough of Halton.

Simon Burns: It is the Department's intention to carry out a review into the effects of the West Coast Main Line upgrade in due course, when a sufficient number of years' data are available to enable meaningful analysis.

Child Benefit

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the real-terms financial effect of the increase of one per cent to child benefit and working tax credit payments on households in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Livingston constituency in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14, (iii) 2014-15 and (iv) 2015-16.

Sajid Javid: The impact of capping child benefit uprating at 1% from 2014-15 is dependent on the number of children in the family. Previous announcements have already frozen child benefit rates for 2012-13 and 2013-14 so this policy has no impact on families receiving child benefit in these years.
	The following table details the annual reduction for different sized families, compared to if payments were to rise in line with CPI. This also assumes that these families are unaffected by the high income child benefit charge. It looks at the impact of child benefit uprating in isolation, and does not take account of other benefit or tax changes.
	
		
			 Change in child benefit entitlement 
			 £, yearly 
			  2014-15 2015-16 
			 One child family -18.25 -31.40 
			 Two child family -28.70 -49.65 
		
	
	We cannot provide detailed breakdowns for different regions; however, based on the most recent published data (August 2011), Scotland and Livingston constituency have a slightly higher proportion of smaller families than the UK as a whole. Therefore the average loss in these regions will be slightly lower.
	It is not possible to show the impact of working tax credits uprating on households in isolation, as tax credits are a combined payment for both working and child tax credits, and a family's award (and therefore payment) depends on their entitlement to both.
	This analysis looks at the 1% uprating of tax credits and child benefit in isolation, and does not take account of other Government policies such as the largest ever increase to the personal allowance that will take effect in April 2013.

Pensions and Personal Savings

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of whether the pensions and savings industry is working well in terms of transparency, fee and charges disclosure and levels of consumer trust.

Sajid Javid: The Financial Services Authority currently has responsibility for regulating the conduct of financial services firms. This responsibility will be transferred to the Financial Conduct Authority from 1 April 2013. The FSA is also undertaking a review of its approach to transparency and will be publishing a discussion paper at the end of February.
	The Government supports a transparent pensions and savings market that delivers the best deal possible for savers. Initiatives currently under way include:
	the Association of British Insurers' new Code of Conduct for Retirement Choices which is due to be implemented by 1 March 2013;
	the ABI and the National Association of Pension Funds codes of conduct on pension charges;
	the Office of Fair Trading market study into workplace pensions which will examine how schemes are working for their members;
	the “Simple financial products” initiative being led by Carol Sergeant that will help consumers navigate the financial services market by using them as a benchmark; and
	the FSA thematic review on annuities.

Schools: Snow and Ice

Iain Stewart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the general economy when a school has to close due to inclement weather.

Sajid Javid: The decision on whether to close is for individual schools, but the Government expects head teachers to keep schools open whenever reasonably possible. Unnecessarily closing schools causes disruption to children's education and to their parents.
	The Government has not made a specific estimate of the effect a school closure will have on the level of gross domestic product (GDP). A school closure will have a direct effect on public sector output and is likely to have indirect effects on private sector output. Temporary disruptions are typically subsequently offset to some degree, though to the extent that did not occur, GDP would be permanently affected.

Tax Evasion and Fraud

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations and proposals his Department has made to the European Commission on efforts to combat tax evasion and fraud; and if he will place in the Library copies of such representations and proposals.

David Gauke: On 14 January 2013 I deposited an Explanatory Memorandum on the Commission's communications to tackle tax fraud and tax evasion. The Government is fully committed to clamping down on those who evade paying their tax and welcomes Commission consideration of what EU-level actions may be appropriate.
	The Government is currently considering the proposals in the Commission's action plan in further detail, including the priority which should be given to the various proposals while taking fully into account the subsidiarity principle and balance of competences in this area.

Tax Yields

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much HM Revenue and Customs collected in tax in each of the last five years; and what proportion was from Northern Ireland in each such year.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs publish total receipts for the United Kingdom on the HMRC Website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/receipts.htm
	Estimates of the proportion paid by Northern Ireland for the indirect taxes (covering VAT, alcohol duties, shares, tobacco duties, fuel duty, gambling duties, climate change levy, air passenger duty, landfill tax, aggregates levy and insurance premium tax) are not available.
	Estimates, where available, of the proportion of revenue collected from Northern Ireland are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Northern Ireland revenue 
			 Percentage 
			  2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Income tax 2.0 1.9 2.0 n/a 1.8 1.7 — 
			 NICs 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 
			 CT 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.1 n/a — — 
			 IHT 1.0 0.8 1.3 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.0 
			 SDLT 2.2 0.9 2.1 0.9 0.5 0.4 0.3

Working Tax Credit: Liverpool

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people living in Liverpool, Walton constituency are in receipt of working tax credit; and what the average weekly payment is to such people.

Sajid Javid: HM Revenue and Customs publishes National Statistics on Tax Credits. The latest snapshot as at 1 December is available at a geographic level here:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/prov-geog-stats/cwtc-geog-dec12.xls
	As at 1 December 2012, there were 5.4 thousand families in receipt of working tax credits in Liverpool Walton.
	The average weekly tax credit entitlement for the Liverpool Walton constituency is £130.
	There will be a further group of families who are not in receipt of working tax credit as their award has been tapered away, but who benefit from a higher award as they are eligible for it. This group will have a lower average entitlement.

Transsexuality: Discrimination

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities what steps the Government is taking to tackle discrimination against transsexual and transgender people in the (a) workplace and (b) wider society.

Jo Swinson: holding answer 31 January 2013
	Our action plan, Working for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality: Moving Forward, published in March 2011, included a series of commitments to advance transgender equality. But in recognition of the distinct challenges that transgender people can face, we published the first ever action plan for transgender equality, Advancing Transgender Equality: A Plan for Action, in December 2011. These plans include a range of measures to improve the lives of transgender people in a number of areas of public policy, including hate crime, health, education and employment.
	A number of the commitments have already been delivered, including the publication in July 2011 of research by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research on the barriers faced by employers in developing positive work environments for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender staff, and an amendment to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 to provide for sentences to be aggravated for any offence motivated by hostility towards the victim on the grounds of being transgender.
	The Government continues to work towards further action, including updating guidance and support for employers on recruiting and employing transgender employees and supporting employees undergoing gender reassignment with their transition.

Jobcentre Plus: Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans his Department has for Rhyl job centre in the (a) short, (b) medium and (c) long-term.

Mark Hoban: DWP are committed to delivering services in Rhyl, and have no plans to withdraw services from Rhyl in the short, medium or long term.

Social Security Benefits

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the average weekly reduction in entitlement of a claimant in the (a) support group and (b) work-related activity group as a result of the Welfare Benefits Uprating Bill in (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16.

Steve Webb: The Welfare Benefits Up-Rating Order relates only to 2014-15 and 2015-16. The average weekly reduction in total benefit income for the groups requested set out in the following table. Figures for 2014-15 are not available.
	
		
			  Average change for those affected by the Welfare Benefits Up-Rating Bill in 2015-16 (£ per week) 
			 ESA Work Related Activity Group -£4 
			 ESA Support Group -£3 
			 Note: Change is rounded to the nearest whole pound.

Unemployment: Young People

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment has been made of the effect of (a) the Youth Contract and (b) the Work programme on long-term youth unemployment.

Mark Hoban: The Work programme support claimants who are long term unemployed or at risk of becoming so. To July 2012 over 240,000 young people were being supported by the programme nationally
	Nationally, over 9,600 (4%) young people have been supported into sustained work so far, which is six months in work for most. It is too early to judge the programme on job outcomes alone, however as we have one year’s worth of data for a programme that supports claimants for two years and it will take time for claimants to reach six months in employment. Data from ERSA (to September 2012) shows us that nationally over 57,000 young people (over 36%) have moved into work so far and that job entries are rising month on month.
	The Youth Contract was introduced in April 2012 to provide additional support, worth almost £1 billion, to unemployed young people over the next three years. While it is too early to make any judgments as to its effectiveness, we have commissioned an external evaluation of the Youth Contract to examine delivery and outcomes and the first evaluation report will be available in early 2013.

Work Capability Assessment

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 24 October 2012, Official Report, column 963W, on work capability assessment, how many of the overturned decisions in each month listed originally assessed the claimant as fit for work.

Mark Hoban: The following table shows the number of occasions where the DWP Decision Maker made a different decision to the Atos Fit for work recommendation for initial assessments in relation to new claims for ESA in each month between May 2010 and February 2012 (the latest data available).
	
		
			 Number of occasions where the DWP decision was different to Atos Fit for Work recommendation each month between May 2010 and February 2012 
			 Month of assessment DWP decision differs from Atos Fit for Work recommendation 
			 May 2010 700 
		
	
	
		
			 June 2010 800 
			 July 2010 900 
			 August 2010 1,100 
			 September 2010 1,000 
			 October 2010 1,700 
			 November 2010 2,400 
			 December 2010 2,100 
			 January 2011 2,400 
			 February 2011 2,800 
			 March 2011 3,300 
			 April 2011 2,500 
			 May 2011 2,800 
			 June 2011 2,600 
			 July 2011 1,900 
			 August 2011 1,800 
			 September 2011 1,500 
			 October 2011 1,300 
			 November 2011 1,300 
			 December 2011 1,100 
			 January 2012 1,600 
			 February 2012 2,000 
			 Notes: 1. These figures do not include WCAs completed on Incapacity Benefit Reassessment (IBR) claims. The Department has published initial findings on the outcomes of IBR, which can be found on the departmental website here: http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_ibr 2. The table includes initial assessments only and the numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100.